The Craziness of Life

Have you ever had one of those days that no matter what you do or what your intentions are everything just goes haywire?  You know those days when some idiot cuts you off as you hurry to get the kids to school then hubby comes home sick then your front door starts to leak in the rain then your little one gets home won't nap and drives you crazy being cranky?  By the time the day is officially over you realize that you haven't really eaten at all today and result to eating popcorn over the sink with a glass of wine as you try and get some peace from the day?  Tell me I'm not the only one here...

Those days happen, and they stink.  Those days happened to me during the Whole30...more than once.  The best part is, there is an answer for those days.  Here's where planning comes into play, but if you do it right, it can help alleviate the stress of these days...for your diet at least. 

Breakfast - FRUIT!!

I will be the first to admit that the meal I am worst at keeping up with is breakfast.  It's not that I don't like breakfast foods, I actually LOVE them.  But I find it hard most days to do anything but cram a protein bar down my throat as I chug my cup of coffee.  Here was my solution to a quick breakfast.  Fruit, cashews and coconut flakes topped with almond milk.  I found the nuts and coconut at Trader Joe's and could easily throw everything together quickly and...usually...get the little one to sit down with her breakfast long enough to get it down.  Surprisingly too, it kept me full until lunch.  Load it up with as much as you want so you're not hungry, after all, all the ingredients are completely Whole30 approved.  If I can't help clean up the other morning messes in your life, at least I can get you started eating on the right foot :)

 

 

Lunch  - The Whatever is in the Fridge Plate

 

Anybody else remember eating Lunchables as a kid?  For me it was a rare treat that my mom would get at the grocery store and it was by far my favorite thing to eat for lunch.  Nothing much has changed as an adult as I'm still a huge sucker for a good meat and cheese tray.  Unfortunately, dairy is one of the things I had to ditch on the Whole30 so I had to tweek my idea of the Lunchable concept.  On a day I had time, I made sure I cut up lots of fruits and veggies and kept them in the fridge for afternoons when things got nuts.  I could make a plate of meat, veggies and fruits and eat them on the go if I needed.  At the very least, it was easier to shove a carrot in my mouth while I wrangled the little one than it was to actually sit down and eat something.  I also found a recipe for a non bean red pepper hummus (who knew right?) that added a little zing when things got boring.  For that wonderful recipe click here.  If you are a hummus lover, as I am, this is a wonderful substitute during the Whole30! 

 

 

 

 

Dinner  - Hello Crock Pot!

 





I, like most moms out there, have a fond place in my heart for my crock pot.  You put your goodies in the morning and no matter what happens during the day, dinner is waiting for you that night.  Whoever the genius is that invented this handy kitchen tool better be sitting in a mansion somewhere being waited on hand and foot...just saying.  In this little crock pot creation I made BBQ.  I know right, who new you could make BBQ in a crock pot?!?  It was wonderful!  Best of all, all I had to do that night at dinner was heat up some veggies to go with and BAM dinner.  It made enough for us to eat and have leftovers and leftovers come in handy when days get crazy!  Here's what you'll need:

3-4 lb pork shoulder
1 bunch green onions; rough chop
3-4 sprigs fresh rosemary
4-5 sprigs fresh thyme
4-5 cloves garlic; smashed
2 T chipotle seasoning
2 c chicken stock
salt and pepper

1 - Put all your goodies in the crock pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours.  If you need to push the time, you can do 4-6 on high but it won't be as tender.  Shred it up when it's done, discard the stuff in the crock pot and enjoy. 

Now the BBQ meat is good on it's own, but being an Eastern NC gal born and raised, I needed a little sauce.  Here's the best one I've found:

2 c apple cider vinegar
2-3 T ketchup (check the label here and make sure there's no sugar)
2 t red pepper flakes
1 t ground black pepper
1 t kosher salt

1 - I found it easiest to put it all in a squeeze bottle and shake away.  I had to play with it a little bit before it all came together, so you may need to adjust for your tastes too.  It's not exactly eastern NC BBQ sauce, but it's the closest I could get with the Whole30 restrictions.

So there you go!  Three ways of cooking on the Whole30 based on the amount of time you have...or want to put into it.  Some days were easier than others, but I'm happy to say that I survived and would even do it again in a heartbeat!  If you want to get some more ideas about Paleo eating and the Whole30, there are TONS of websites out there devoted just to that.  My two favorite sites were ChowStalker and Nom Nom Paleo.  These two blogs helped inspire my creative and nurture my overachiever side while still giving me some ideas on what to do when time ran short.  ENJOY!!